Car-coupling



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet- 1.

L. N. SINGIHN. GAR GOUBLING.

No. 570,211.I Patented Oct. 27, 1,896.

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' (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

LQN, SINGIN.

GAR GOUPLING.

, No. 570,211. Patented Oct. 27, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT FFTCE.

LOUIS N. SINGIN, OF YALLS, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-COUPLING.v

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 570,211, dated October 27, 1896. Application filed August 14,1896. i Serial No. 602,808. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, LoUIs N. SINGIN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Walls, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to car-couplers, and more particularly to the means for operating the couplers under all conditions so that the trainman will not have to go between the cars or expose himself to danger; and to these ends my invention consists in the various features of const-ru ction and arrangem ent of parts, subsubstantially as hereinafter more particularly set forth.

lVhile the principles of my invention may be applied to various types of car-couplers, it is intended-more particularly for operation in connection with the coupler patented to me May 23, 1893, No. 197,930, and I have shown my invention in connection with such a coupler.

. car or tank. Fig. 4 represents the end of a car or tank, showing the coupler and means for operating it from the side of the car or tank; and Fig. 5 is a detail. l

I do not deem itY necessary herein to particularly describe the construction and operation of the coupler shown, as these are fully set forth in my patent above referred to, but it is sufflcient to say that the coupling coinprises a draw-head 1, of the usual construction, adapted to conform with the requirements of this class of couplers, so that it will be interchangeable with couplers of other makes, and it is provided with the projections 2 3, and the body of the draw-head is hollow for the reception of the operative parts. Mounted in the projection 2 is a knuckle 4, provided with the usual slot 5 and pinhole 6 and with an extension 7 in the form of a sector, provided with a number of teeth 8 9 10,

the., there being any desired number, four being shown in the drawings. Also mounted in the draw-head is a sector 12, also provided with a series of teeth 13 14. 15, &c., the tooth 17, for instance, being preferably larger or thicker to form a strong bearing portion for the sector. The sector is pivotally mounted in the draw-head in such a positionthat its teeth normally engage with the teeth of the projection 7 of the knuckle, so as to move therewith.

In order to lock the knuckle in position, there is a locking-pin 2,0,which may be of any desired construction, but is shown as provided with an extension 21, passing through the draw-head, and with a part 24, shorter than the other portion', so that when the pin is raised the teeth of the sector 12 pass underneath the pin and the pin slides o r moves over the face of the sector, but when the sector is in position for locking the knuckle the pin falls by gravity and the portion 24in1- pinges against the enlarged tooth 1,7 of the sector and securely locks the parts together.

So far the construction is substantially the same as shown in my prior patent, and my present improvement is intended to provide means for raising the locking-pin and positively moving the knuckle in orout to couple or uncouple the cars or set the coupler in position for coupling. In order to do this, it is necessary to provide means for positively rotatingl the knuckle, and to do this I mount the sector 12 upon a shaft 30, havinga squared cross-section fitting a like hole in the sector,v

so that when the shaft is turned one way or the other the sector is partially rotated and positively moves the knuckle into coupling or uncoupling position through the medium of the intermeshing teeth. This shaft 30 projects above the draw-head, as seen in Fig. 1, and the upper end is squared or otherwise formed to readily engage the operating devices. Connected to the shaft 30 is a lever or hook 31. In order to operate the coupling, it is only necessary that this should be a short lever, but I preferably make it in the form of a hook, as best shown in Fig. 2, projecting out from the mouth or opening in the coupler, and thus I provide a means for holding the draw-head if perchance it should be drawn IOO ont of its position by accident or otherwise. It will be seen that this hook 3l projects over the cooperating coupler 29, (shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1,) and will serve to sustain the draw-head and coupler and prevent its falling between the cars in case of accident, as above intimated. It will be understood, of course, that the hooked portion of the lever can be dispensed with, it' desired, and the operation of the coupler, so far as locking and unlocking are concerned, will be the same.

It will be understood .that in order to uncouple the coupling it is first necessary to raise the locking-piu :2O and then throw out the knuckle 4 into the position shown in Fig. 2, and in order to couple or set the coupler if it happens to be in the position shown in Fig. 2 it is necessary to forcibly draw in the knuckle and then allow the locking-pin to fall to lock the knuckle in position. To do this on a passenger-car, I arrange a lever 40 on the platform, the handle of which ext-ends up within convenient reach of the trainman, and I connect to this lever the mechanism for moving the knuckle and pin. This lever may properly be designated a compound lever, in that it practically has two fulcrums. It is provided with a slot 4l, mounted on a pin or stud 42, secured to the platform, and it is also provided with a slot or opening43, which moves on a pin or stud 44, secured to the platform. I have shown itin the form of a slot, but the lower portion can be cut out, leaving an opening, as indicated by dotted lines, Fig. l. The slot 43 is formed in a sectorshaped portion 45 of the lever 40, and connected to this portion of the lever is a rod 4G, the other end of which is connected to the lever 31. Also connected to the lever 40 is a rod 47, which is connected to a bell-crank 48, pivotally mounted at 49 on the platform, and

connected by a chain 50 with the locking-pin.

In the normal condition, with the coupler closed, the lever 40 occupies the position indicated in dotted lines, Fig. l, and if then it is desired to uncouple it is moved toward the left orfull-line position and the pin 42 moves through the slot 4l, while the rod 47, through the bellcrank, raises the locking-pin 20. A further movement of the lever then forces the rod 46 toward the center of the car, rotating the sector l2 and consequently throwing the knuckle 4 into the position shown in Figs. I and 2.

It will be understood that the knuckle cannot be thrown open until the locking-pin is raised. Consequently the rod 46 may be said to form a fulcrum for the lever 40 while the bell-crank is being operated to lift the lockin g-pin. Then the pin is lifted to the proper position, the bell-crank 4S impinges on an abutment 47, Fig. 5, which prevents the further sidewise movement of the rod 47, and this rod then becomes, so to speak, the fulcrum, and the lower portion of the lever 40 is forced inward, turning the shaft 30 and through the sector opening the knuckle, as

shown. Pins 42 and 44 slide through their respective slots and help to support the lever in position. If now it is desired to close the knuckle, the first movement of the lever 40 loosens the chain 50 of the locking-pin and then a further movement rotates the sector in a direction to close the knuckle, which being accomplished the pin falls into locking position. It will thus be seen that, as before stated, the lever 40 has two fulcrums, and

- during the first part of the movement the rod 47 is moved inward, so that the bell-crank occupies the position shown in dotted lines, when it comes against the abutment 47", Fig. 5, and prevents further movementin that direction. rlhen the rod 47 becomes a ful crum,so to speak, and the rod 4G is thrown outward, rotating the shaft 30 and dra-win g the knuckle into coupling position, when the pin 20 falls by gravity and locks it. All the motions are positive, and it will be seen that the locking-pin is first moved or released and then the knuckle is operated and that these movements are positive and certain. i

If desired, the lever need only be operated sufficiently to raise the locking-pin, when the knuckle can be drawn open by moving the car connected to it, or by further moving the lever the knuckle can be forcibly drawn open and forcibly shut.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a means for operating the knuckle from the side of the ear, in which there is a horizontal rod GO, having a bent end 6l, connected to the chain 50 of the locking-pin 20, and a handle 62, by means of which the rod GO is rotated to lift the lockingpin. Mounted on the rod GO, so as to permit the latter to rotate and to move longitudinally with it, is a bar G3, which is connected to the hook 3l.

In order to uncouple, the rod GO is first partially rotated to lift the locking-pin and is then pushed bodily inward to move the lever or hook 31 and rotate the knuckle, and when the knuckle is to be closed the rod GO is drawn outward, closing the knuckle.

The device shown in Fig. 3 provides for operating the coupler from a box-car or the tank of the engine. The coupler is the same and has the squared projection on the shaft 30. Fitting on this is a vertical rod 51, having a hand-wheel 52, extending above the car or tank, and loosely connected to this rod, so as to permit it to rotate, is a link 53. This link may be connected directly to the loeking-pin 20, but preferablyI use it in connection with the means for operating the knuckle from the side of the car, and in that instance I connect the link to the bent end 6l of the lever G0. In order to operate the coupler from the top of the car or tank, the rod 5l is raised slightly, as shown in the drawings, lifting the lockingpin, when the rod is rotated positively, throwing the knuckle open or closed, as before described. This operation from the top of the car does not interfere with the operation of the knuckle from the side of the car by means IOO IIO

of the rod 60. It will thus be seen that I provide the coupler with a squared shaft connected to the sector, so as to positivelymove the knuckle in or out, and lI attach a lever or hook to this shaft and operate it by a rod or other connection, to which rod is connected the locking-pin, so that the locking-pin can be raised before the knuckle is opened and can be released so that it canV fall by gravity when the knuckle is closed.

l. In a coupler of the class described, the combination with a squared shaft connected to a sector for moving` the same, of a lever connected to said shaft, means for operating the lever, and connections between said means and the locking pin, substantially as described.

2. In a coupler of the class described, the combination with a squared shaft, of a lever connected to the shaft, a rod connected to the lever, a compound lever mounted on the carplatform, a bell-crank also mounted on the platform and connected to said compound lever, and a chain connecting the bell-crank with the locking-pin, substantiallyT as described. t l

3. In a coupler of the class described, the combination with a squared shaft, of aflever, a compound lever having slots mounted on the platform, a connection between the lever and the lever on the squared shaft, another connection between the lever and the holl- 

